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New career, now pregnant

5 replies

Careerchanger190422 · 19/04/2022 15:55

I need some advice and maybe some reassurance really.

I'm 30 and just took a huge step to change career.
In my previous role I was in a project support based role earning 48K a year but hated it because I hated the industry and the people in it.

Switched into a similar but different project-based role but in a whole other industry so took a pay cut down to 28K as I am learning the industry and business from scratch. Plus my previous employer were generous with salary.

3 weeks into my new job and just found out I'm pregnant. Unexpected but welcome surprise. I'm not with the baby's dad.

Now my happiness has turned to pure fear.
How will my new employer take it?
Will I lose my job?
Is this the end of my new career before it has even started? I had dreams to climb to Project Manager but I've been there not even a month and now pregnant.

Will I ever have a career now or will I be too late to re-builds after baby is in school and I can go back to full-time?
Can I even afford a baby now that I'm earning much less than before? I have lots of savings and only have 50K left to pay on my 230K house, but I won't be eligible for enhanced maternity so how will that skew my finances.

I'm in a panic :(

OP posts:
Careerchanger190422 · 19/04/2022 21:58

Anyone?

OP posts:
GinPalace2 · 19/04/2022 23:09

You are not legally obliged to tell your employer you are pregnant until 15 weeks before your due date. However, you may need a risk assessment and so will need to judge when you tell your employer.

No one can tell you how your manager/employer will react. Good employers will have encountered this before and will have policies in place. Poor employers can and do act unlawfully. Pregnancy and maternity are protected characteristics and if you are dismissed due to being pregnant you can claim unfair dismissal, even though you have only been there a few weeks. ACAS and Pregnantthenscrewed website can help, if you need it.

Your key concern should be checking your eligibility to Statutory Maternity Pay www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-pay-leave

Then look at what benefits, if any, you can get whilst on mat leave. CSAB

You are in a good position in terms of LTV and so may be able to work with your mortgage company to look at ways to reduce your monthly mortgage, if necessary, whilst on mat leave e.g. extending term, mortgage holiday.

You have savings which is good, look at Money Saving Expert to help you draw up a realistic budget and identify savings. This will help you work out how much mat leave you can afford to take. Buying new for a baby is lovely but realistically some items are hardly used and so you can get some good second hand items. Baby forums will tell you where you should spend (car seat) and where you can cut costs by having second hand.

Career wise, it will depend on the profession, but there is no reason you can’t continue to build your career. Remember, your child will be 10 when you are 40, and you will have 20+ years to retirement.

I have deliberately not mentioned financial assistance from the father, as whilst this may be forthcoming the reality is many try not to pay it.

I’ve given you a lot to think about, and I’m sure others can add to this, please don’t worry you are not the first to be in this situation and you seem better placed than many to cope.

Congratulations Flowers

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lokijet · 19/04/2022 23:21

You have legal protections and any decent employer will want to retain talent (you!) having gone to the effort of recruiting you

Careerchanger190422 · 20/04/2022 15:38

@GinPalace2 Thank you for all that information 😙
First time pregnant and I feel like it's such a minefield.
I didn't even know that I might not get any maternity pay at all.Feeling so stressed but so blessed as well.

I've always been a career woman so starting kind of afresh as been mentally difficult. But also really yearned for a baby one day. So I feel torn between happy and sad all the time haha.

OP posts:
Careerchanger190422 · 20/04/2022 15:40

@lokijet Thanks. I really hope so. But I know that the reality is, some companies don't see it that way. Fingers crossed my employer takes it well.

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